MARION, Ind. - The eight-game winning streak for Grace's women's soccer team ended on Wednesday.
The Lady Lancers lost 2-1 at No. 23 Indiana Wesleyan, suffering the team's first loss since Sept. 5. The only losses so far for Grace (12-2, 4-1 Crossroads League) are to ranked opponents after falling to No. 3 Southeastern earlier in the season.
Grace outshot IWU 21-13 in the match, including double the amount of shots on goal (10 to 5).
But the Wildcats (11-1-2, 4-0-1 CL) struck early and held on late to secure the upset.
IWU shocked Grace with an early goal, scoring in the second minute. The 1-0 lead for the Wildcats stood up for the next half hour.
The Lady Lancers pressured the Wildcats in return. Grace hit the goalpost in the early minutes and tried 11 shots overall in the first half.
In the 33rd minute, Grace hit the post again. JJ Aalbue fired a low free kick that clanged off the post; the resulting loose ball fell to Liz Van Wormer in the box, but her shot went above the goal.
The Wildcats doubled their lead against the run of play late in the half, scoring off a set piece for a 2-0 advantage.
Grace responded quickly. Cassidy Wasson blasted a shot past the goalkeeper, assisted from a cross by Aalbue.
Two minutes later, Grace nearly equalized. Corinne Villalobos had a shot from close range off a corner kick that was saved.
IWU held a 2-1 lead going into halftime. The Lady Lancers outshot the Wildcats 11-9 in the half.
Grace was the aggressor in the second half, holding a 10-4 edge in shots after halftime and a 5-1 edge in corner kicks.
The last 10 minutes, in particular, saw the Lady Lancers pepper IWU's goal. Grace tried six shots in the final frantic minutes, but the Wildcats would not be denied the upset on Wednesday.
Aalbue had seven shots and two on goal, and Villalobos and Wasson also had two shots on goal.
The Lady Lancers remain on the road Saturday, playing at Mt. Vernon Nazarene at 7 p.m.
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